Homer and Jethro
Encyclopedia
Homer and Jethro were the stage names of American
country music
duo Henry D. Haynes
(1920–1971) and Kenneth C. Burns
(1920–1989), popular from the 1940s through the 1960s on radio and television for their satirical
versions of popular songs. Known as the Thinking Man's Hillbillies
, they received a Grammy in 1959 and are members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
audition in Knoxville, Tennessee
when they were both 16 years old. Known as Junior and Dude , the pair was rechristened Homer (Haynes) and Jethro (Burns) when WNOX Program Director Lowell Blanchard
forgot their nicknames during a 1936 broadcast
. In 1939 they became regulars on the Renfro Valley Barn Dance
radio program in Dayton, Ohio
.
They were drafted into the US Army during World War II
but served separately; they reunited in Knoxville in 1945, and in 1947 they performed on WLW-AM's Midwestern Hayride
in Cincinnati. They sang exaggerated hillbilly-styled versions of pop standards as their comedic hook, with Haynes on guitar and Burns on mandolin
. They originally recorded for King Records
, where they also worked as session musicians backing other artists until a dispute over song credits with label owner Syd Nathan led Nathan to release them from the label. The duo and other stars were fired by new management at WLW in 1948, and after a brief tour, they moved to Springfield, Missouri
and performed on KWTO-AM
with Chet Atkins
, the Carter Family and Slim Wilson
.
label in 1949, RCA's country A&R
man Steve Sholes suggested they switch their comedy to singing parodies of country and pop hits. Most were penned by Burns, the humorist of the pair. Their parody of "Baby It's Cold Outside
", recorded with June Carter
, became a hit. The song's composer, Frank Loesser
, gave them permission to parody the tune with the condition that the label read, "With apologies to Frank Loesser." It led to a spot on WLS-AM
in Chicago in 1950, a tour with bandleader Spike Jones
and a number of successful albums. They also served as backup musicians on a number of late 1940s and early 1950s RCA recordings by Chet Atkins
and on many other RCA country sessions in Chicago and Nashville. Atkins was married to Burns' wife's sister.
They won a Grammy for Best Comedy Performance - Musical in 1959 for "The Battle of Kookamonga", their parody of Johnny Horton
's hit "The Battle Of New Orleans". The majority of their recordings were similar parodies of famous old and new popular songs. One example was their treatment of the old romantic song "When You Wore A Tulip
" (When you wore a Tulip/A sweet yellow tulip/and I wore a big red rose
). While keeping that line of the chorus intact, the duo's version of its verse told of two lovers sleeping in a greenhouse
, removing their clothes due to the heat and humidity, and then having to escape when the building caught fire. To cover their nakedness, the couple wore the flowers.
In the 1960s they also recorded a parody version of Lennon and McCartney's "She Loves You
".
became more sophisticated, giving them access to mainstream audiences on network television and in Las Vegas
. On May 12, 1960, they appeared with Johnny Cash
on NBC
's The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford
. In the 1960s they were hired as commercial personalities for Kellogg's Corn Flakes; their "Ooh! That's corny!" television spots gave them exposure beyond country music audiences. One relatively notable gig was in November 1966, when they entertained at the grand opening ceremony for the now-abandoned, infamous Dixie Square Mall
in Harvey, Illinois
.
Both were also outstanding jazz musicians who were deeply influenced by the European gypsy string jazz of Django Reinhardt
, a style that would influence their work until Haynes's death from a heart attack in 1971. Atkins produced many of their later RCA albums including two blazing instrumental jazz efforts: Playing It Straight and It Ain't Necessarily Square.
After Haynes' passing, Burns tried to maintain the duo with a new "Homer," guitarist Ken Eidson, but the effort was short-lived. Burns continued recording and performing solo and with Chicago folk singer
Steve Goodman
. He died in 1989 from prostate cancer
.
Haynes and Burns were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
duo Henry D. Haynes
Henry D. Haynes
Henry Doyle Haynes was an American entertainer who gained fame on radio and television as Homer of the country music comedy duo Homer and Jethro with Kenneth C. Burns for 35 years beginning in 1936.-Biography:...
(1920–1971) and Kenneth C. Burns
Kenneth C. Burns
Kenneth C. Burns was an American country musician, comedian, and mandolin player. He was better known by his stage name Jethro from his years with Henry D. Haynes as part of the comedic musical duo Homer and Jethro beginning in 1936.-Biography:Burns was born Conasauga, Tennessee on March 10, 1920...
(1920–1989), popular from the 1940s through the 1960s on radio and television for their satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
versions of popular songs. Known as the Thinking Man's Hillbillies
Hillbilly
Hillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of...
, they received a Grammy in 1959 and are members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Early years
Haynes and Burns met in 1936 during a WNOX-AMWNOX
WNOX is a radio station in the Knoxville, Tennessee area. It broadcasts a news-talk format.WNOX operates a 100,000-watt transmitter, located on Cross Mountain north of Briceville, Tennessee...
audition in Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
when they were both 16 years old. Known as Junior and Dude , the pair was rechristened Homer (Haynes) and Jethro (Burns) when WNOX Program Director Lowell Blanchard
Lowell Blanchard
Lowell Blanchard was an American radio presenter and performer. Blanchard, a native of Chicago, Illinois, was a station manager and popular show host for WNOX-AM Radio in Knoxville, Tennessee. He was inducted into the in 1977. He is said to have given country performers Henry D. Haynes and...
forgot their nicknames during a 1936 broadcast
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
. In 1939 they became regulars on the Renfro Valley Barn Dance
Renfro Valley Barn Dance
Renfro Valley Barn Dance was an American country music stage and radio show originally carried by WLW-AM in Cincinnati, Ohio on Saturday nights. It debuted on October 9, 1937 from the Cincinnati Music Hall and moved to the Memorial Auditorium in Dayton, Ohio. It was hosted by John Lair, Red Foley,...
radio program in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
.
They were drafted into the US Army during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
but served separately; they reunited in Knoxville in 1945, and in 1947 they performed on WLW-AM's Midwestern Hayride
Midwestern Hayride
Midwestern Hayride, sometimes known as Midwest Hayride, was an American country music show originating in the 1930s from WLW-AM and later from WLWT-TV in Cincinnati, Ohio. During the 1950s it was carried nationally by NBC and then ABC television...
in Cincinnati. They sang exaggerated hillbilly-styled versions of pop standards as their comedic hook, with Haynes on guitar and Burns on mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
. They originally recorded for King Records
King Records (USA)
King Records is an American record label, started in 1943 by Syd Nathan and originally headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.-History:At first it specialized in country music, at the time still known as "hillbilly music." King advertised, "If it's a King, It's a Hillbilly -- If it's a Hillbilly, it's a...
, where they also worked as session musicians backing other artists until a dispute over song credits with label owner Syd Nathan led Nathan to release them from the label. The duo and other stars were fired by new management at WLW in 1948, and after a brief tour, they moved to Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
and performed on KWTO-AM
KWTO
KWTO refers to two radio stations in Springfield, Missouri, USA. On AM, KWTO can be found at 560 kHz, where it airs a news-talk format. On FM, KWTO operates at 98.7 MHz and carries a sports talk format....
with Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
, the Carter Family and Slim Wilson
Slim Wilson
Clyde Carol Wilson , better known as Slim Wilson, was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and radio and TV personality who was a cornerstone of country music in the Ozarks for more than 50 years beginning in the 1930s; both in his own right, and as a member of The Goodwill Family and The...
.
Song satirists
Signed to the RCA VictorRCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
label in 1949, RCA's country A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
man Steve Sholes suggested they switch their comedy to singing parodies of country and pop hits. Most were penned by Burns, the humorist of the pair. Their parody of "Baby It's Cold Outside
Baby, It's Cold Outside (song)
"Baby, It's Cold Outside" is a pop standard with words and music by Frank Loesser.-Background:Loesser wrote the duet in 1936 and premiered the song with his wife, Lynn Garland, at their Navarro Hotel housewarming party...
", recorded with June Carter
June Carter Cash
Valerie June Carter Cash was an American singer, dancer, songwriter, actress, comedienne and author who was a member of the Carter Family and the second wife of singer Johnny Cash...
, became a hit. The song's composer, Frank Loesser
Frank Loesser
Frank Henry Loesser was an American songwriter who wrote the lyrics and scores to the Broadway hits Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, among others. He won separate Tony Awards for the music and lyrics in both shows, as well as sharing the Pulitzer Prize for...
, gave them permission to parody the tune with the condition that the label read, "With apologies to Frank Loesser." It led to a spot on WLS-AM
WLS (AM)
WLS is a Chicago clear-channel AM station on 890 kHz. It uses C-QUAM AM stereo and transmits with 50,000 watts from transmitter and towers on the south edge of Tinley Park, Illinois....
in Chicago in 1950, a tour with bandleader Spike Jones
Spike Jones
Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny and other Warner Brothers cartoon characters, performed a drunken, hiccuping verse for 1942's "Clink! Clink! Another Drink"...
and a number of successful albums. They also served as backup musicians on a number of late 1940s and early 1950s RCA recordings by Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
and on many other RCA country sessions in Chicago and Nashville. Atkins was married to Burns' wife's sister.
They won a Grammy for Best Comedy Performance - Musical in 1959 for "The Battle of Kookamonga", their parody of Johnny Horton
Johnny Horton
John Gale "Johnny" Horton was an American country music and rockabilly singer most famous for his semi-folk, so-called "saga songs" which began the "historical ballad" craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s...
's hit "The Battle Of New Orleans". The majority of their recordings were similar parodies of famous old and new popular songs. One example was their treatment of the old romantic song "When You Wore A Tulip
Tulip
The tulip is a perennial, bulbous plant with showy flowers in the genus Tulipa, which comprises 109 species and belongs to the family Liliaceae. The genus's native range extends from as far west as Southern Europe, North Africa, Anatolia, and Iran to the Northwest of China. The tulip's centre of...
" (When you wore a Tulip/A sweet yellow tulip/and I wore a big red rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
). While keeping that line of the chorus intact, the duo's version of its verse told of two lovers sleeping in a greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
, removing their clothes due to the heat and humidity, and then having to escape when the building caught fire. To cover their nakedness, the couple wore the flowers.
In the 1960s they also recorded a parody version of Lennon and McCartney's "She Loves You
She Loves You
"She Loves You" is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney based on an idea by McCartney, originally recorded by The Beatles for release as a single in 1963. The single set and surpassed several records in the United Kingdom charts, and set a record in the United States by being one of the...
".
Later years
Over time, Homer and Jethro's patterPatter
Patter is a prepared and practiced speech, that is designed to produce a desired response from its audience. Examples of occupations with a patter might include the: auctioneer, salesperson, dance caller, or comedian....
became more sophisticated, giving them access to mainstream audiences on network television and in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. On May 12, 1960, they appeared with Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford
The Ford Show
The Ford Show is a half-hour comedy/variety program, starring singer and folk humorist Tennessee Ernie Ford, which aired in color on NBC television on Thursday evenings from October 4, 1956 to June 29, 1961....
. In the 1960s they were hired as commercial personalities for Kellogg's Corn Flakes; their "Ooh! That's corny!" television spots gave them exposure beyond country music audiences. One relatively notable gig was in November 1966, when they entertained at the grand opening ceremony for the now-abandoned, infamous Dixie Square Mall
Dixie Square Mall
Dixie Square Mall is an abandoned enclosed shopping mall located in Harvey, Illinois, United States, located at the junction of 151st Street and the Dixie Highway. It has been vacant for over 30 years, more than twice as long as it was in business. It is famous for having been used, both inside and...
in Harvey, Illinois
Harvey, Illinois
Harvey is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, near Chicago. The population was 30,000 at the 2000 census.Harvey is bordered by Dixmoor, Riverdale and Blue Island to the north, Posen and Markham to the west, South Holland, Phoenix, and Dolton to the east, and East Hazel Crest to the...
.
Both were also outstanding jazz musicians who were deeply influenced by the European gypsy string jazz of Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer who invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique that has since become a living musical tradition within French gypsy culture...
, a style that would influence their work until Haynes's death from a heart attack in 1971. Atkins produced many of their later RCA albums including two blazing instrumental jazz efforts: Playing It Straight and It Ain't Necessarily Square.
After Haynes' passing, Burns tried to maintain the duo with a new "Homer," guitarist Ken Eidson, but the effort was short-lived. Burns continued recording and performing solo and with Chicago folk singer
Folk Singer
Folk Singer is a 1964 album by Muddy Waters. Waters plays acoustic guitar, backed by Willie Dixon on string bass, Clifton James on drums, and Buddy Guy on acoustic guitar...
Steve Goodman
Steve Goodman
Steve Goodman was an American folk music singer-songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. The writer of "City of New Orleans", made popular by Arlo Guthrie, Goodman won two Grammy Awards.-Personal life:...
. He died in 1989 from prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
.
Haynes and Burns were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001.
Album discography
- Homer and Jethro Fracture Frank Loesser (RCA)
- Barefoot Ballads (RCA)
- The Worst of Homer and Jethro (RCA)
- Life Can be Miserable (RCA)
- At the Country Club (RCA)
- Songs My Mother Never Sang (RCA)
- At the Convention (RCA)
- Fractured Folk Songs (RCA)
- Tenderly (RCA)
- Zany Songs of the 30's (RCA) (1963)
- Go West (RCA)
- Old Crusty Minstrels (RCA)
- Cool Crazy Christmas (RCA)
- Something Stupid (RCA)
- Wanted for Murder (RCA)
- Ooh, That's Corny (RCA)
- Cornfucius Say (RCA)
- Nashville Cats (RCA)
- Any News from Nashville? (RCA)
- Live at Vanderbilt (RCA)
- Homer and Jethro's Next Album (RCA)
- The Far-Out World of Homer and Jethro (RCA)
- Playing It Straight (RCA) (1962) (reissued on CD by RCA Japan) [jazz instrumentals]
- It Ain't Necessarily Square (1965?) (reissued on CD by RCA Japan) [jazz instrumentals]
- Songs for the Out Crowd (RCA) (1967)
- America's Song Butchers: The Weird World of Homer and Jethro (Razor & Tie)
- Homer and Jethro Assault the Rock 'n' Roll Era (Bear Family)
With the Nashville String Band
- The Nashville String BandThe Nashville String Band (album)The Nashville String Band is an album by The Nashville String Band. The band consisted of Chet Atkins and Homer and Jethro. Chet produced many of Homer & Jethro's later RCA albums and they in turn performed on a number of his....
(RCA) - Down Home (RCA)
- Strung UpStrung Up (Nashville String Band album)Strung Up is an album by The Nashville String Band. The band consisted of Chet Atkins and Homer and Jethro.-Side one:# "Last Train to Clarksville" # "Nola"# "Genevieve"# "Opryland"# "Happy Ending"-Side two:# "Alhambra"...
(RCA) - Identified! (RCA)
- The Bandit (RCA)
- World's Greatest Melodies (RCA)
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
||
| 1949 | "I Feel That Old Age Creeping On" | 14 | — |
| "Baby, It's Cold Outside Baby, It's Cold Outside Baby, It's Cold Outside may refer to:*"Baby, It's Cold Outside", a 1948 song by Frank Loesser*"Cold Outside", a song by country music band Big House from their self-titled debut album*"Baby, It's Cold Outside", a 1991 short story by Isaac Asimov... " (with June Carter June Carter Cash Valerie June Carter Cash was an American singer, dancer, songwriter, actress, comedienne and author who was a member of the Carter Family and the second wife of singer Johnny Cash... ) |
9 | 22 | |
| "Tennessee Border—No. 2" | 14 | — | |
| 1953 | "(How Much Is) That Hound Dog in the Window" | 2 | 17 |
| 1954 | "Hernando's Hideaway Hernando's Hideaway "Hernando's Hideaway" is a tango show tune from the musical The Pajama Game, written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross and published in 1954. The lyrics describe a dark and secretive nightclub.... " |
14 | — |
| 1955 | "Sifting, Whimpering Sands"/"They Laid Him in the Ground" | — | — |
| 1959 | "The Battle of Kookamonga" | 26 | 14 |
| 1964 | "I Want to Hold Your Hand" | 49 | — |
Guest singles
| Year | Single | Artist | US Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | "Chet's Tune" | Some of Chet's Friends | 38 |